Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011

IN THIS ISSUE:

Ethnicity, Ethics and the Deaf-World ...... 1 WASLI 2011 ...... 14 Deaf Wellness Conference 2011, Saint John, NB ...... 16 Leona Parr-Hamel - Certifi cate of Recognition ...... 18 Leona Parr-Hamel Scholarship ...... 19 Douglas College David Still Memorial Award ...... 20 Canadian Evaluation System ...... 21 From Your Board… ...... 22

One of several erroneous constructs encountered by professional sign language practitioners is the commonly held belief that Deaf people are disabled. As professionals, we recognize the importance of incorporating new fi ndings from the fi eld of sign language studies into our practice, including an increased understanding of the cultures in which we fi nd ourselves.

To that end, I received permission from Dr. Harlan Lane to share with readers of the AVLIC News his online keynote presentation (Supporting Deaf People, 2011). In his paper, Dr. Lane outlines the ancestry of ASL signers and supports the characterization held by most Deaf people that they self-identify as members of an ethnic versus a disabled group.

Lisz Keallen, AVLIC Second Vice President Ethnicity, Ethics and the Deaf-World A Paper for the “Supporting Deaf People” Conference Harlan Lane, Richard Pillard, Ulf Hedberg Northeastern University, Boston University, Gallaudet University

Th is talk is based on a book we have just published, entitled Th e People of the Eye: Deaf Ethnicity and Ancestry (Oxford Press, 2011).*

It has become widely known that there is a Deaf-World in America, some half-million citizens whose primary language is American Sign Language and who identify themselves as members of the Deaf-World. Th e English terms deaf, hearing-impaired, and deaf community are commonly used to designate a much larger and more heterogeneous group than the memberhip of the Deaf-World. Most of the 20 million Americans who are in the larger group communicate primarily in English or one of the spoken minority languages; they do not claim to be members of the Deaf-World, nor do they participate in its organizations, profess its values or behave in accord with its mores; rather, they consider themselves hearing people with a disability.

* Subscript D indicates a Deaf person. Harlan Lane (H) is a psychologist, Richard Pillard (H) is a family studies expert, and Ulf Hedberg (D) is an archivist and genealogist. Ethnicity, Ethics and the Deaf-World....continued on page 4 Th e AVLIC News... AVLIC Staff AVLIC Administrative Manager ...... Jane Pannell Is published 3 times a year by the Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada © Copyright AVLIC Offi ce All rights reserved. ISSN 1201-0928 110 - 39012 Discovery Way Squamish, BC V8B 0E5 Canada Newsletter Editing Team Email: [email protected]

Sisko Huijgen-Bilker: Newsletter Coordinator Phone/Text (604) 617-8502 Carmelle Cachero: Layout & Design Editor Fax (604) 567-8502 Suzie Giroux: Web Publisher Miriam West: Submission Solicitor PLEASE NOTE: Submissions to the AVLIC News can be Christie Reaume: Submission Vetter e-mailed to the Newsletter Coordinator at: Mary Warner: Submission Vetter [email protected] Chris Racine: Submission Vetter & Proofreader Abigail Whitney: Layout Proofer Th e AVLIC News is published 3 times a year. Misty Kehler: Layout Proofer Deadline for submissions of articles and publication dates are Cindy Haner: Board Liaison as follows:

Edition Submission Deadline Release Board of Directors No 1 Winter-Spring March 31 May No 2 Summer-Fall July 31 September President ...... Christie Reaume No 3 Fall-Winter November 30 January 1st Vice President ...... Jocelyn Mark Blanchet 2nd Vice President ...... Lisz Keallan Editorial Policy: Past President ...... Colleen Friel Th e AVLIC News reserves the right to refuse to publish Secretary ...... Caroline Tetreault anything that is deemed racist, sexist, homophobic, or Treasurer ...... Cindy Haner demeaning to another person, or organization. Articles Evaluations ...... Monique (Bozzer) LeDrew may be edited for clarity and brevity, or omitted due to space Member-at-Large ...... Shelley Williams considerations. Th e opinions in this newsletter refl ect the Member-at-Large ...... Jen (Yim) Jahnke author’s views and do not necessarily represent the views of the AVLIC News or the Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada. Th e AVLIC News is Standing Committees and Coordinators available in English. All AVLIC Members are entitled to receive the AVLIC News 3 times a year. Board & Committee Development ...... J. Mark Blanchet Bylaws, Policy & Procedure ...... Chris Racine Advertising Policy: Health and Safety ...... Karen Fran All advertising is subject to AVLIC’s approval. Publication of Member Services ...... Jean-Luc Pharand advertisements does not constitute endorsement of standards Membership ...... Jane Pannell of goods and services promoted. AVLIC does not accept Public Relations ...... Becky Schirato responsibility for accuracy of the information supplied by the Publications ...... Sisko Huijgen-Bilker advertiser.

Advertising Rates: Ad hoc Committees and Coordinators Business Card Half Page Full Page 1st time (regular rate) $ 55 $ 100 $ 200 AVLIC 2012 ...... Debra Russell 2nd time (60%) $ 33 $ 60 $ 120 ...... Susan Tompkins 3rd time (40%) $ 22 $ 40 $ 80 AVLIC 2014 ...... Bonnie Heath 4th time FREE FREE FREE ...... Terry Janzen Educational Interpreting Issues ...... Elaine Fong Original design by Stargazer Design Legal Settings Document Review ...... Leslie Roach On-line www.avlic.ca Use of term “Certifi ed Interpreter” ...... Laura Henry Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/AVLIC Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 2 Editorial Note

Hopefully this issue of the AVLIC News will be a treat for everyone! Immediately following an intriguing edition focusing on the topic of audism, “Ethnicity, Ethics and the Deaf-World” provides new perspective on Deaf people and their culture. A huge thanks goes out to Harlan Lane, Richard Pillard, and Ulf Hedberg, who graciously allowed their paper to be printed in the AVLIC News.

Saint John, New Brunswick hosted the fi rst ever Maritime Deaf Wellness Conference in June of this year. Th e conference drew a crowd of Deaf and interpreting participants from all over the Maritimes and Ontario; the conference even attracted folks from Service Canada. Workshops were varied, covering topics from interpreting in mental health & legal settings, to Deafhood. Th e review included in here is sure to spark an interest in similar events for other communities.

Part and parcel of the AVLIC News is celebrating achievement. Th is edition recognizes the Leona Parr-Hamel Certifi cate of Recognition from George Brown College and the Douglas College David Still Memorial Award. Of course the issue would not be complete without an update from the Board, with the launching of the new AVLIC website at the top of the list. We would also like to send a big thank you to Patty Conrad, as she steps down from the editorial team to pursue other endeavours. Her expertise was greatly appreciated and will be missed.

Th is Spring-Summer edition of the AVLIC News promises reading that will inspire great conversation, promote new vision, and keep you in the professional loop.

Happy reading! Th e Editorial Team

Th eme for the Fall-Winter issue of the AVLIC News

Th is edition of the AVLIC News is intended to provide inspiration for article submissions. Each issue features a theme, however submissions not related to the theme are always welcome. We particularly welcome article submissions from members of the Deaf community - AVLIC membership is not a requirement for anyone considering a submission. Also if you have suggestions for future themes, we look forward to hearing from you.

Remember: if it is of interest to you, it is of interest to the AVLIC News!

“Technology, Social Networking and the Impact on the Interpreting Profession”

Deadline for submissions: November 30, 2011

Communication via technology used to be primarily e-mails. Now it’s facebook, skype, smartphones, BLOGS, VLOGS, and virtual classrooms! Surfi ng the web has taken on a whole new meaning for those of us on the fringes of an ever-expanding cyber network. Th e Deaf community has embraced it; the interpret- ing community is drawn to it. At work our smartphones have become our best friends, or have they? How do we tap into the world of social networking while at the same time maintaining professional boundaries? Th e next issue of the AVLIC News is devoted to technology, social networking and the impact on our profes- sion. Bring your expertise and insight to the pages of the AVLIC News.

E-mail submissions to [email protected] Note: new e-mail address

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 3 Ethnicity, Ethics and the Deaf-World.....continued from page 1 Th is presentation concerns the smaller group, the Deaf-World. When we refer to Deaf people in this article, we mean the ASL signers who populate the Deaf-World. We aim to show that the Deaf-World qualifi es as an ethnic group, not a disability group, and that a failure to understand this is at the root of major ethical issues in the relation of the majority with this minority – issues such as genetic counselling and screening, and pediatric cochlear implants.

We will fi rst present the case that the Deaf-World in America is an ethnic group and then examine the ethical issues from that perspective.

Th e Figure shows the criteria that have been advanced by social scientists for characterizing a social group as an ethnic group.

Collective name – Th e Deaf-World has one.

Feeling of community – Th e members of ethnic groups characteristically feel a strong sense of belonging to the group. Americans in the Deaf-World do indeed feel a strong identifi cation with that world and show great loyalty to it. Th is is not surprising: the Deaf-World off ers many Deaf Americans what they could not fi nd at home – easy communication, a positive identity, a surrogate family. Th e Deaf-World has the highest rate of intermarriage of any ethnic group – some ninety percent.1

Norms for behavior – In Deaf culture, there are norms for relating to the Deaf-World: for decision-making – consensus is the rule, not individual initiative; for managing information; for constructing discourse; for gaining status; for managing indebtedness; and many more such norms.

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 4 Distinct values – Deaf-World members actively value their Deaf identity, which the hearing world stigmatizes; they value their sign language and act to protect and enrich it; they value cultural loyalty, the residential schools, physical contact, and more.

Knowledge – Deaf people have culture-specifi c knowledge such as who their leaders are (and their characteristics), what’s up with rank-and-fi le members of the Deaf-World, important events in Deaf history, and how to manage in trying situations with hearing people. Th ey know Deaf-World values, customs, and social structure.

Customs – Th e Deaf-World has its own ways of doing introductions and departures, of taking turns in a conversation, of speaking frankly, and of speaking politely; it also has its own taboos.

Social structure – Th ere are numerous organizations in the American Deaf-World: athletic, social, political, literary, religious, leisure, and many more.

Language – Competence in American Sign Language is a hallmark of Deaf ethnicity in the United States and some other parts of North America. A language not based on sound sharply demarcates the Deaf-World from the Hearing-World. Th e signed language of the Deaf-World is the core of Deaf-World authenticity.

Th e Arts – First there are the language arts: ASL narratives, storytelling, oratory, humour, tall tales, wordplay, pantomime, and poetry. Th eatre arts and the visual arts address Deaf culture and experience.

History – Th e Deaf-World has a rich past, recounted in storytelling, books, fi lms, and videos. Members of the Deaf-World have a particular interest in their history. A sense of common history unites successive generations.

Kinship – Some scholars maintain that the core of ethnicity lies in the cultural properties we have examined, so kinship is not necessary for the Deaf-World or any other group to qualify as an ethnic group. Others say kinship should be taken in its social meaning as “those to whom we owe primary solidarity.” Certainly there is a strong sense of solidarity in the Deaf-World; the metaphor of family goes far in explaining many Deaf-World norms and practices. So by this criterion – solidarity – ASL signers are kin.

What kinship is really about, still other scholars contend, is a link to the past; it’s about “intergenerational continuity.” Th e Deaf-World does pass its norms, knowledge, language and values from one generation to the next: fi rst, through socialization of the Deaf child by his or her Deaf parents; and second, through peer socialization of Deaf children who have no Deaf parents. So in that sense – intergenerational continuity – members of the Deaf-World are indeed kin.

When we think of kinship, yet other scholars maintain, what is really at stake is biological resemblance; in that case, members of the Deaf-World are kin since Deaf people resemble one another biologically in that they are visual people. Finally, many students of ethnicity would insist that ethnic groups have at least a claimed bond of blood, through hereditary links among its members, and shared ancestry.

In response to those scholars who insist that ethnicity requires shared ancestry, either real or mythical, we reply that a majority of the members of the Deaf-World are Deaf due to heredity, so they inherited their

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 5 ethnicity, which they owe to a small number of shared ancestors. What percent of ASL signers are Deaf due to heredity compared to all other causes? Based on polling by the Center for Assessment and Demographic Studies at Gallaudet, we estimate that three-fourths of Deaf ASL signers are Deaf due to heredity.2 So, most ASL signers are hereditarily Deaf, but do they share ancestors? We have been investigating the founding Deaf families in New England, in particular those located on the island of Martha’s Vineyard and in Maine. Our book contains over two hundred indexed lineages that extend in some cases over three hundred years. Tracing those ancestors back to their American progenitors and beyond revealed that nearly forty clan progenitors on Martha’s Vineyard and in Maine had ancestors in the county of Kent in England.3 Kent apparently had Deaf people and a sign language quite early on. Th at sign language was no doubt brought to the Vineyard by settlers, and it likely played a role in the shaping of ASL. Shared ancestry is the rule rather than the exception in the Deaf-World pedigrees we have examined. Let me be clear: members of the Deaf-World do not have only Deaf ancestors in their pedigrees; they have many hearing ancestors who passed along the Deaf trait as surely as if they had been Deaf themselves.

Many scholars in the fi eld of ethnicity believe that these “internal” properties of the ethnic group we have just reviewed must also be accompanied by an “external” property, a boundary separating the minority from other ethnicities – in particular, the majority ethnicity. Does the Deaf-World in the United States occupy its own ecological niche? Does it look to itself for the satisfaction of certain needs, while looking to the larger society for the satisfaction of other needs?

In Figure 2 we have identifi ed activities that are primarily conducted by Deaf people for Deaf people.

Many of these activities are related to language – always a powerful creator of boundaries between ethnic groups, but especially so in the case of Deaf people, since hearing people are rarely fl uent in visual language and Deaf-World members are rarely fl uent in spoken language. Next, Deaf-World cultural, athletic and social activities are organized and conducted by Deaf people with few or no hearing people involved. Th ere’s a lot in this list we could discuss, but the important point is this: the Deaf-World looks to itself for many of its activities; it collaborates in a few with the hearing world, and leaves the really broad responsibilities such as law enforcement to the larger society. In this, it is like other ethnic groups.

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 6 We conclude that the American Deaf-World today meets both the internal and external criteria for ethnic groups.

Our research into Deaf ancestry in New England has led us to the hypothesis that this Deaf ethnicity arose out of intermarriage among the Deaf founding families, forming large Deaf clans.

Such Deaf-Deaf marriages were important links among Deaf families, for the children of those marriages would have the combined heritage of both their parents’ extended families, including their genetic heritage. Figure 3 presents the kinship network resulting from marriages between the Curtises and the Rowes, two Deaf families in Maine in the mid-nineteenth century. Th e solid lines show families linked to one another by Deaf-Deaf marriages. For example, George CurtisD married Nancy RoweD and in so doing linked the Curtis and Rowe families (also linked by the marriages of Ebenezer CurtisD, George CurtisD, and Benjamin RoweD). Th e Campbell family was linked to Curtis-Rowe by Abner CampbellD’s marriage to Olive CurtisD and then to Ann CurtisD. Th e Reed family joined the Curtis-Rowe-Campbell cluster as a result of Benjamin RoweD’s marriage to Lucy ReedD. Th e Whitcomb and Person families joined the network through the marriages of Adin ReedD. George CampbellD brought the Gibson family into the network with his marriage to Sarah GibsonD, which in turn linked up with the Wakefi eld family, and so forth.

Th e dashed lines show connections through the parents of those Deaf-Deaf marriages. When a couple marries, they link the groom’s family to the bride’s family, including linking the groom’s parents to the bride’s parents – and thus the family circle expands. For example, George RiggsD’ marriage to Margaret ChandlerD also linked the Riggs and Campbell families, since GeorgeD’s father was a Riggs and MargaretD’s mother was a Campbell. Parents’ families are linked in the diagram provided there is at least one Deaf person in each of the families.

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 7 In all, the fi gure presents fi fty-two families with Deaf members that were linked to one another. Deaf families were also linked by mixed marriages, such as that of George CurtisD’s hearing sister, Sophia, to Deaf leader Th omas BrownD, but those are not included in the diagram. Th ese linkages among Deaf families – both marital and parental – shaped the everyday lives of the family members, who traveled to be together, socialized their children together, tended to the ill, sought work for the unemployed, and so on.

Abetted by institutions such as the fi rst school for the Deaf, the fi rst Deaf organization and the fi rst Deaf ministry, the Deaf population of mainland New England came to see themselves as a class apart from the hearing world, a group with its own distinctive language, culture, and physical makeup. Deaf publications show clearly that the members of this ethnic group took pleasure in their shared identity.

Th e movement to replace signed language in the Deaf-World began in the mid-nineteenth century and was formally established in the 1880 Congress of Milan. Th at movement stifl ed Deaf ethnicity but could not extinguish it. Ultimately, Deaf ethnic consciousness blazed anew as a result of the American Civil Rights Movement, and it continues to grow today with the fl ourishing of Deaf activism, Deaf arts and Deaf Studies. Deaf people are entering the professions in large numbers, especially professions that serve Deaf people. Th is expanding Deaf middle class refl ects the growth of Deaf enrollments in college programs, many of which are affi rming of Deaf culture.

Developments in the larger society present both challenges and opportunities for all ethnic groups. Although there are forces that promote Deaf separatism, most Deaf people have hearing parents; moreover, hearing society both restricts and facilitates what Deaf people can achieve, so the Deaf-World seeks engagement and a degree of bilingualism. Deaf clubs have been dwindling while other venues for Deaf association have developed. Perhaps vlogs on the Internet, e-mail, pagers and video telephony reduce the need, to some extent, for face-to-face communication. Th e “mainstreaming” placement of most American Deaf children in the local schools has led to the closure or reorientation of many of the traditional residential schools for the Deaf. Increasing numbers of Deaf students receive cochlear implant surgery. Many such children require a command of ASL in order to communicate with their teachers or interpreters and to converse with other Deaf people, but programs of implant surgery often discourage the use of ASL – thus the centuries-old struggle between minority and majority language continues.

We have concluded that it is appropriate to view the Deaf-World as an ethnic group. Th us we will apply the label “ethnic group” to ASL signers, and that will lead us to do appropriate things: learn their language; defend their heritage against more powerful groups; study their ethnic history, etc. Laws and treaties protecting ethnic groups then apply to the Deaf-World. Is it also appropriate to label members of the Deaf-World a disability group? Despite all the evidence that disability is constructed in a given society at a given time, many writers, apparently unaware of disability studies and medical anthropology, simply adopt the naive materialist view when it comes to disability: 4 if you don’t hear, you must have a disability.5

In Deaf cultures, being Deaf is seen as normal human variation, while in hearing cultures it is a disability.6 Th ere is no point in asking who is right. Is it better to have a culture with three gods and one wife or a culture with one god and three wives?7 Disability categories vary from one culture to the next and, within a culture, from one era to the next.8 We suspect that all ethnic groups fi nd in their cultures a positive value assigned to their unique physical traits. If a group of pygmies were to visit the U.S., would their entire ethnic group be considered disabled by short stature? No, in their eyes and in ours, they would be seen as short compared to

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 8 us but normal for their ethnic group, not disabled. Likewise for Deaf ethnics: most are gifted in vision and limited in hearing, but normal for their ethnic group, not disabled.

It is not necessary to add disability to Deaf ethnicity in order to explain, for example, why the Deaf speak a visual language. Deaf people are “Th e People of the Eye” – that given is a foundation of their ethnicity. In societies where signed language use was widespread because of a substantial Deaf population—on Martha’s Vineyard and Bali for example—being Deaf was apparently seen as a trait, not a disability.9 Deaf scholars nowadays are on record as rejecting the disability construction of ethnically Deaf people.10 On its website, the National Association of the Deaf accurately portrays the view of Deaf-World members as “there is nothing wrong with them, and… their culture, language, and social institutions are just as fulfi lling as the ones experienced by the mainstream society.”11 Urban and rural Deaf interviewees in six countries of the European Community have called for recognition of Deaf people as a linguistic minority rather than as a disabled group.12 Th e World Games for the Deaf (now “Deafl ympics”) has, for much of its history, declined incentives to join the Paralympics. For most Deaf ethnics, the idea that all Deaf people are defi cient “simply does not compute.” 13 Deaf scholar Tom HumphriesD explains:

“Disabled” is not a label or self-concept that has historically belonged to Deaf people. “Disabled” is a way of representing yourself, and it implies goals that are unfamiliar to Deaf people. Deaf people’s enduring concerns have been these: fi nding each other and staying together, preserving their language, and maintaining lines of transmittal of their culture. Th ese are not the goals of disabled people. Deaf people do know, however, the benefi ts of this label and make choices about alignment with these people politically.14

Disability advocates have suggested that the Deaf deny they have a disability in order to avoid the stigma of that label.15 However, there are numerous reasons, without invoking stigma, to expect Deaf-World members to reject the idea that they all have a disability. Th e key to understanding why “disabled” is a poor fi t to “Deaf” is found in language. Deaf people are aware that when they are together, or with hearing people who know ASL, there is no impediment, but when they are with other ethnic groups, the impediment is based on language. Th us the issue is more a language issue than a disability issue.

Language changes everything. It was the catalyst that created an ethnic group out of a visual people and that created a culture with myths, memories, and symbols – a culture that values its ethnic identity. During the civil rights era in America, when Deaf people came to see that they speak a natural language, they also came to see their identity in a diff erent light, one that exposed self-derogatory talk about ASL “gestures” and Deaf “affl ictions” and “impairments” – talk that had been, in any case, borrowed from hearing people or addressed to them. Many in the Deaf-World say they are content to be Deaf despite the burdens of minority status, and they welcome having Deaf children.16 All ethnic groups want to see their group perpetuated. In contrast, many disability leaders say that, although they want their physical diff erence valued as a part of who they are, they welcome measures that attenuate or remove their disability and reduce the numbers of disabled children. 17

Th e consequences of an ethnic conceptualization of the Deaf-World go well beyond academic studies; the quality of Deaf lives (and the lives of those who relate to them) is in large part determined by how Deaf people are conceptualized. Are ASL signers simply hearing people manquées, beset by a genetic mutation passed on through intermarriage, or are they members of an ethnic group whose common descent, language

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 9 and culture can be traced across generations? Th e conceptualization of any ethnic group is a powerful force in self-acceptance and acceptance by others, and a lens through which relations are perceived and managed between majority and minority.

In recognizing Deaf-American ethnicity, what obligations are imposed on the majority in its dealings with the Deaf-World? Contemporary ethical standards with regard to the treatment of ethnic minorities are captured in part in the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities.18 Th e treaty calls on governments to protect and foster the existence and identity of linguistic minorities; it affi rms the right of such minorities to enjoy their culture and use their language; it asks that governments take measures to ensure that persons belonging to minorities have adequate opportunities to learn the minority language. Most fundamentally, members of the Deaf-World ethnic group have a right “to participate in decisions on the national level aff ecting their minority.”19

None of these provisions has been honoured broadly in the experience of ethnically Deaf Americans. Th e failure to conceptualize sign language speakers as an ethnic group is, we believe, an important reason for the failure to apply to them the ethical standards that concern ethnic groups. We propose to present three examples of the potential rewards of adopting an ethnic perspective on Deaf ethnicity.

In 1990, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the cochlear prosthesis for surgical implantation in children; the device converts sound waves into electrical currents that are delivered to a wire implanted in the child’s inner ear. Deaf organizations worldwide have deplored the surgery, 20 contending that Deaf babies are healthy babies with no need of surgery, that the surgery has medical and psychosocial risks, that children are too young to give consent and their parents’ consent is not fully valid as parents are often uninformed about the Deaf-World and, fi nally, that it is, in principle, injurious to the Deaf-World to implant large numbers of Deaf children.

Th e program of childhood cochlear implantation in America and elsewhere has as its primary goal to enable Deaf children to acquire the spoken majority language. In their eff orts to achieve this goal, surgeons, audiologists and special educators commonly instruct parents not to use sign language with their children, nor allow others to do so. If their goal of replacing ASL with English could be achieved on a wide scale, the consequence, however unintended, would be ethnocide, the systematic extinction of an ethnic minority’s freedom to pursue its way of life. An implant scientist quoted in the Atlantic Monthly claimed that ethnocide will indeed be the likely consequence of programs of cochlear implantation: “Th e cochlear prosthesis on which I have worked for years with many other scientists, engineers and clinicians,” he wrote, “will lead inevitably to the extinction of the alternative culture of the Deaf, probably within a decade.”21 Th e author likens Deaf culture to Yiddish culture and concludes, “Both are unsustainable.” Is it self-indulgent nostalgia to want to protect Deaf culture and Yiddish culture? When ethnic diversity is sustained, so is society’s adaptive potential.22 Moreover, most of us recoil at the idea of undermining an ethnic group, because it is morally wrong, because it has led to crimes against humanity, and because we want our own ethnicity protected from powerful others. If our society generally has failed to recoil at the prospect of Deaf ethnocide, it is because most fail to recognize Deaf ethnicity. Furthermore, if Deaf ethnicity were more widely recognized, parents could have a more positive understanding of their Deaf child, they could see more clearly why interacting with Deaf adults and promoting ASL use is so important, and they could weigh more carefully and wisely the risks and benefi ts of cochlear implantation.

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 10 Th e recognition of Deaf ethnicity also orients us diff erently to Deaf education. Th e Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe calls on educational systems to ensure that “persons belonging to those minorities have adequate opportunities for being taught in the minority language.” 23Th e use of the ethnic minority language is a human right as well as a wise educational practice.24 If teachers could communicate with their Deaf students in the language of their ethnic group, a language the students can readily understand, many more Deaf students would be prepared for important roles in our post-industrial society. Moreover, it is the law: schools with large numbers of pupils whose primary language is not English are eligible for federal funding and must conform to court rulings that require, transitionally at least, employment of the minority language, of minority role models, and of a curriculum that refl ects minority heritage.25 Because parents who carry the Deaf trait unexpressed can pass on the physical element of Deaf ethnicity but frequently cannot pass on language and culture, it becomes essential for the children in this ethnic minority to interact early on with Deaf peers and with adult Deaf role models. If the opportunity to learn an accessible natural language is withheld, those children will spend years being language-less, reduced to using primitive home signs. An ethnic conception of the Deaf child, however, could foster early recognition of the need for Deaf language models; it could lead parents and parent-infant programs to ensure early language learning; and it could lead schools to exploit that sign language mastery for eff ective instruction in the dominant language and all else.

Further, the ethnic conceptualization of the Deaf-World casts a new light on eff orts to control Deaf reproduction, eff orts like genetic screening and prenatal testing to avoid Deaf births.26 Is it ethical to undertake a program of medical intervention aimed at reducing the membership of an ethnic group, a program contrary to the wishes of that group? Deaf-World members are commonly opposed to genetic testing for the purpose of restricting Deaf births and are equally pleased to have a Deaf child or a hearing child.27 Th e tendency to see pathology and not ethnicity in the Deaf-World fosters demeaning and outmoded forms of speech such as citing the risk of having a child belonging to that ethnic group or the need for therapy to avoid or remediate ethnic identity. If the Deaf were widely understood to be an ethnic group, eugenic measures to restrict the birth of Deaf ethnics would be seen as confl icting with our fundamental values.

Th ere are many more issues in ethnic relations between the mainstream and the Deaf that would be altered to mutual advantage by the ethnic perspective. Th e comprehensive promise of such a paradigm change has been well described by Deaf scholar Tom HumphriesD: “Acceptance of Deaf ethnicity removes one more obstacle to a clear understanding of who Deaf people are (and are not). Th is alters the relationship between Deaf and hearing people and creates opportunities for Deaf people to bring about change.”28

Th ere is reason for hope that the Deaf can bring about change: history shows that a society can adopt a diff erent conceptualization of a people. Native Americans were once seen as savages, black Americans as property, and women as utterly dependent. What then are the prospects for a corresponding re-conceptualization of members of the Deaf-World, from disabled individuals to members of an ethnic group? Th e case for Deaf ethnicity built by the social sciences is powerful. Increasingly, linguists take account of ASL, sociologists of the social structure of the Deaf-World, historians of its history, educators of its culture and so on. It remains to reform those other professions that simply have an outdated conceptualization of the Deaf-World. Just as we once considered American Sign Language to be primitive gesturing but now recognize it as a sophisticated natural language, so those who view ASL signers as individuals with an impairment can come to see them as members of an ethnic group and, on that score, enriching and enlarging our sense of our own humanity.

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 11

1 Schein, J. D. (1989). At home among strangers. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. 2 gri.gallaudet.edu/Demographics/2008_National_Summary.pdf. (Accessed 4/5/09). Gallaudet Research Institute, Regional and National Summary Report of Data from the 2007-2008 Annual Survey of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Youth. (Washington, DC: GRI, Gallaudet University, 2008). 3 Simon Athearn, Joyce Baker, Patience Bigge, Nicholas Butler, Joanna Clements, William Curtis, Andrew Cushman, Th omas Cushman, Dolor Davis, John Davis, Samuel Eddy, Ralph Farnum, Ralph (2nd) Farnum, Th omas Farnum, Nicholas Fessenden, Richard Foster, Margaret Gowen, Susanna Hinckley, Hannah House, William Jellison, Edward Kennard, Th omas Lambert, Benjamin Lathrop, John Libby, Edmund Littlefi eld, Abraham Lord, James Lord, Nathan Lord, Hannah Lynnell, Sarah Partridge, Elizabeth Savery, James Skiff e, John (rev.) Smith, Isabel Tempest, John Wakefi eld, Joyce Wallen, Hannah Whitney, Margery Willard, Stephen Wing. 4 H. T. Engelhardt, “Th e Concepts Of Health And Disease,” in A. Caplan, H. T. Engelhardt, and J. J. McCartney, Concepts of Health and Disease (Reading, Mass.: Addison Wesley, 1981), pp. 31-45; R. Selzer, “Against Devices for the Deaf [a review of H. Lane, Mask of Benevolence],” Washington Post, July 2, 1992. 5 T. P. Gonsoulin, “Cochlear Implant/Deaf-World Dispute: Diff erent Bottom Elephants,” Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 125 (2001), 552-556; quotation from p. 554. 6 H. Lane, “Do Deaf People have a Disability?” in Bauman, Open Your Eyes, pp. 277-292. 7 R. Shweder, “Anthropology’s Romantic Rebellion Against the Enlightenment,” in R. Shweder and R. A. LeVine, eds., Culture Th eory. (New York, NY: Cambridge U. Press, 1984), 27-66. 8 P. Conrad and J. Schneider, Deviance and Medicalization: From Badness To Sickness (Columbus, Ohio: Merrill, 1980). 9 Groce, Everyone Here. When Groce asked her informant to say who were “handicapped by deafness when she was a girl on the Island,” she replied emphatically: “Oh, those people weren’t handicapped. Th ey were just deaf”; quotation from p. 5. See also: Lane, Pillard, and French, “Origins.” 10 MJ Bienvenu, “Disability,” Th e Bicultural Center News, 13(April) 1989; K. A. Jankowski, Deaf Empowerment: Emergence, Struggle and Rhetoric (Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press, 1997); I. King Jordan to 60 Minutes: H. Fine and P. Fine, producers (March 1990). “60 Minutes.” New York, NY: Columbia Broadcasting System; Ladd, Understanding Deaf Culture. 11 www.nad.org/deafanddumb (accessed 1/4/09). http://www.nad.org/issues/american-sign-language/community-and-culture-faq (8/24/2011) 12 L. Jones and G. Pullen, “Inside We Are All Equal”: A European Social Policy Survey of People Who are Deaf, in L. Barton, ed., Disability and Dependency (Bristol, PA: Taylor and Francis Falmer Press, 1989), 127-137. 13 T. Humphries, “Deaf Culture and Cultures,” in K. M. Christensen and G. L. Delgado, eds., Multicultural Issues in Deafness (White Plains, New York, NY: Longman, 1993), quotation from p. 6. 14 Humphries, “Reference Materials,” quotation from p. 220. 15 D. Baynton, “Beyond Culture”; V. Finkelstein, “We Are Not Disabled, You Are,” in Gregory and Hartley, Constructing Deafness, 265-271; T. P. Gonsoulin, “Cochlear Implant/Deaf-World Dispute: Diff erent Bottom Elephants,” Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 125 (2001): 552-556. 16 M. Mills, “I Am Happy My Child Is Deaf: Many Are Horrifi ed by a U.S. Couple Deliberately Choosing to Have Deaf Children. Here, Sharon Ridgeway, Who Is the Deaf Mother of a Deaf Child Sympathizes With Th eir Decision,” Th e Guardian. April 9 (2002): 8. A survey of Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants found no preference about the hearing status of their children: S. J. Stern, K. S. Arnos, L. Murrelle, K. Welch, W. Nance, and A. Pandya, “Attitudes of Deaf and

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 12 Hard-of-Hearing Subjects toward Genetic Testing and Prenatal diagnosis of Hearing Loss,” Journal of Medical Genetics 39 (2002): 434-453. 17 P. Abberley, “Th e Concept of Oppression and the Development of a Social Th eory of Disability,” Disability, Handicap and Society. 2 (1987): 5-19. Baynton presents the case that many disabled persons have no desire to join the disabled ‘other.’: D. Baynton, “Beyond Culture.” “What needs to be stated is that disability – while never wished for – may simply not be as disastrous as imagined”: M. Fine and A. Asch, “Disability Beyond Stigma: Social Interaction, Discrimination, and Activism,” Journal of Social Issues 44 (1988): 3-21; quotation from p. 11. J. Gusfi eld writes: “We must take care not to parody and reject lightly either the naive materialist or the constructivist positions. Naive materialists do recognize that their actions can aff ect the “real” social problem they are trying to remedy. And constructivists do not claim that social problems are invented out of thin air; some disease and disabilities – some – have biological as well as social determinants of their categorization”: J. Gusfi eld, “On the Side: Practical Action and Social Constructivism in Social Problems Th eory,” in J. Schneider and J. Kitsuse, eds., Studies in the Sociology of Social Problems (Rutgers, NJ: Ablex, 1984), 31-51. “Every disabled person would welcome such an operation (or other form of personal intervention) which guaranteed successful elimination of the impairment.” V. Finkelstein, “We Are Not Disabled, You Are.,” in Gregory and Hartley, Constructing Deafness, 265-271; quotation from p. 265; H. Lane, “Constructions of Deafness,” Disability and Society 10 (1995): 171-189. 18 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, 1992, Resolution 47/135. www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/d_minori.htm (accessed 2/15/2009). 19 United Nations, Article 2, # 3. 20 H. Lane, “Th e Cochlear Implant Controversy,” World Federation of the Deaf News (1994): (2-3), 22-28. 21 G. Loeb, Letters to the editor; “Doomed Ghetto Culture.” In E. Dolnick, “Deafness as Culture,” Atlantic Monthly. 272 (1993): 37-54. Reprinted Deaf Life 6 (1993): 33. 22 Robert Johnson, personal communication, 2009. 23 conventions.coe.int/treaty/en/Treaties/Html/157.htm Quotation from Article 14 (accessed 2/15/09). See also: Consultation Sur Les Diff érentes Approches de l’Education Des Sourds. ED-84/ws/102. Paris: UNESCO, 1985. 24 R. E. Johnson, S. K. Liddell, and C. J. Erting, “Unlocking the Curriculum: Principles for Achieving Access in Deaf Education,” Gallaudet Research Institute Working Papers (1989); R. C. Johnson, ed., “Access: Language in Deaf Education. Proceedings of a Seminar Sponsored by the Gallaudet Research Institute Concerning ‘Unlocking the Curriculum’.” Gallaudet Research Institute Occasional Papers. (1990); R. C. Johnson, “Th e Publication and Early Aftermath of ‘Unlocking the Curriculum’,” Sign Language Studies 69 (1990): 295-325. 25 H. Lane, Th e Mask of Benevolence: Disabling the Deaf Community. (New York, NY: Knopf, 1992); Haft, J. “Assuring Equal Educational Opportunity for Language-Minority Students: Bilingual Education and the Equal Educational Opportunity Act of 1974,” Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems 18 (1983): 209-293. 26 K. W. Anstey, “Are Attempts to Have Impaired Children Justifi able? Couples Should Not Be Allowed to Select Either For or Against Deafness (Current Controversy).” Journal of Medical Ethics 28 (2008): 286; M. Spriggs, “Lesbian Couple Create a Child Who Is Deaf Like Th em: A Deaf Lesbian Couple Who Chose to Have a Deaf Child Receive a Lot of Criticism,” Journal of Medical Ethics 28 (2008): 283. 27 S. J. Stern et al., “Th e Attitudes of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals Toward Genetic Testing of Hearing Loss.” American Journal of Human Genetics 67(4) suppl. 2 (2000): 32. 28 Tom Humphries, personal communication, 2009.

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 13 WASLI 2011 Australia will focus on the Australasia & Oceania, Samuel By Debra Russell, WASLI President Begumusi was chosen from Uganda to represent Africa, Calgary, AB while Selman Hoti continues to work with the Balkans.

Th e beautiful city of Durban, South Africa, was the site Zane Hema and Liz Scott Gibson were conferred with of the most recent World Association of Sign Language lifetime membership, which was so well deserved given Interpreters (WASLI) conference. Some 160 participants their tremendous work with WASLI since its inception. from 50 diff erent countries made the journey in order to be part of a very special conference. WASLI was thrilled Our opening ceremonies showcased a 46-person Zulu to be able to return to South Africa, where we were Dance Troupe, followed by Markku Jokinen, World formed just six years ago, and this conference saw 17 Federation of the Deaf president, who opened our African countries represented. Do look at our website conference. Bruno Druchen, president of Deaf South (www.wasli.org) and facebook pages to learn more. Some Africa, and chair of the WFD Congress, also brought highlights of the event include: greetings, prior to Colin Allen (now the current president of the WFD) delivering an inspirational keynote address Th e general meeting saw some changes ratifi ed to the on the theme of unity among interpreters and Deaf Governing Document, as well as squeezed in short people, nationally and internationally. regional meetings, and our North American region was able to have all three countries present. Nigel Howard, Our welcoming reception was held by the pool of the incoming regional representative, took note of the Southern Sun Elangeni Hotel, overlooking the Indian exceptional ideas of participants and we look forward Ocean, where we again enjoyed the dance troupe, had to working with you to realize some of the goals put the chance to meet new friends and reconnect with old forward. Th anks to all delegates from Canada, USA and friends underneath the stars. Mexico - your commitment to international cooperation and development is clear. Dr. Risa Shaw and Dr. Steven Collins, both of Gallaudet University, coordinated the selection of papers and Over the past 18 months, there has been a task group posters, and while neither was able to be with us, we focused on producing guidelines for countries about so appreciated the variety of presenters and the range educating interpreters. Th at paper is now completed and of topics showcasing research and practice. Brendan will soon be available on our website. I encourage each Costello (Spain) and Mary Th umann (USA) will be of you interested in international development to review editing the conference proceedings over the next few the philosophical statement and principles that have months so watch for the opportunity to purchase your shaped the document, and to fi nd ways to share it with copy. others. For many delegates, this was the fi rst time they had access Th e general meeting also saw a new board elected to to this level of information about our work. Th e two days carry on the work of the next four years. Th e executive of presentations were interspersed with country reports includes: from our delegates. Learning about events in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Zambia, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Chile, Ukraine, Jose Luis Brieva, Colombia, Vice President Costa Rica, Cambodia, Japan, Sweden, and Mexico, to Susan Emerson, Australia, Treasurer name but a few, was so enlightening. We have much Awoii Patrick Michael, Uganda, Secretary in common, and there is so much work to be done to bring equity to services for Deaf people globally. We will Within our slate of regional representatives, Stuart never forget our delegate from Zambia speaking about Anderson of Scotland joins Nigel as the second Deaf coming to WASLI as a series of “fi rsts” - fi rst time on rep. Stuart will represent Europe, Jose Ednilson Jnr an airplane, fi rst time to see the ocean, fi rst time to a of Brazil will take on the Latino America region, while conference, fi rst time to have access to training, and fi rst Igor Bondarenko from Ukraine begins working with time to see the face of WASLI changing lives. Special Transcaucasia & Central Asia. Emiko Ichikawa of thanks to Canadian delegate Farah Ladha for organizing Japan continues to represent Asia, Sheena Walters from the reports and liaising with the delegates – you did an

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 14 awesome job! English and International Sign were the offi cial languages We look forward to hearing from you. Th ank you for of the conference, and Dr. Christopher Stone, from the your support. United Kingdom, pulled together an amazingly talented group of IS interpreters. Th e interpreters all volunteered Debra Russell their services, and off ered access for both Deaf and non- deaf participants who may not have been familiar with English. Th ere were three Canadians on the team: Nigel Howard, Debra Russell, and Ava Hawkins.

WASLI also enjoyed some wonderful media coverage, including photos, facebook updates, tweets, and videos. Our thanks to Nicole Montagna (New York) and Patrick Galasso (Vermont) and their team for making sure that the sights and sounds of the conference were shared globally.

WASLI was invited for the fi rst time to bring greetings to Debra Russell, WASLI president, and Nigel Howard, the WFD general assembly. I was thrilled to be able to do regional representative of North America that, and our entire board looks forward to working with the WFD board on shared projects over the next four years. One of the major projects will focus on interpreting access during natural disasters. When I am in Australia attending the Australian Sign Language Interpreters National Conference (ANC) in August 2011, I will meet with Colin Allen to begin our discussions.

Th e photos from our closing gala dinner show the spirit of friendships born from our various “heart languages” and shared profession, regardless of our linguistic and geographic diff erences. Many delegates dressed in their national costumes, which created a colourful background upon which to take photos, exchange parting messages and celebrate the experience of interpreters coming All delegates from Canada, USA and Mexico together from around the world to share their knowledge, passion, and commitment to developing interpreting throughout the world.

Th e new board is now focusing on transition issues, and moving to creating the next strategic plan for WASLI. We are such a young organization and there is much to be done. I hope you will fi nd ways to contribute to WASLI’s growth, and support activities in the North American region. Take out an individual membership, participate in raising sponsorship dollars for other countries, pay the membership of an interpreter in a developing country, and learn about the committees that await your talents! Please feel free to be in touch with any of us serving on Th e Canadian delegates (from left to right): Farah the board, and especially your regional representative, Ladha, Ava Hawkins, Debra Russell, Nigel Howard Nigel Howard, at [email protected]. Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 15 Deaf Wellness Conference 2011, Saint John, NB

By Lynn Le Blanc and Shelley Williams, Saint John, NB

(Photo by Gregory Davidson) Deafhood Workshop by Nigel Howard, University of New Brunswick-Saint John

From June 15th to the 19th, 2011, Saint John, NB, was diff erent scenarios that brought the participants through host to the Maritime Deaf and interpreting communities the whole interaction of the mental health setting, from for their fi rst-ever conference of this type. Th e conference the introduction of consumer, interpreter (including DIs) was sponsored by the Saint John Deaf and Hard of and mental health practitioners, right through to the Hearing Services Inc. (SJDHHS) and the South-East end of the appointment. Not only were the participants Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Inc. (SEDHHS), fortunate to be able to practice with Deaf community with some funding from the Greater Saint John members (non DIs), but they also were able to practice Community Foundation. Th e focus of the conference was and learn these skills together, with DIs and ASL/English “Community, Culture and Wellness” bringing together interpreters present. interpreters, Deaf community and service providers. Participants joined us from our maritime provinces and Day three (Friday) was followed up by two half-day from as far away as Toronto and Ottawa, ON. workshops: “Legal Interpreting” by Deb Russell, and “Right vs. Right” by Karen Malcolm; again, participation Th e event kicked off with a two-day (Wednesday and from both communities was essential to the learning Th ursday) mental health workshop by Karen Malcolm environment. Deb was able to bring an understanding for interpreters and Deaf community members. Th e Deaf of consecutive interpreting to our community and the community involvement in the professional development benefi ts of a more accurate interpretation in all settings, and learning experience brought added insight to the but most specifi cally within legal settings. Th e “Right learning experience. One interpreter commented that vs. Right” workshop provided an understanding of “having the discussion in ASL certainly was a major Dean and Pollard’s “Demand and Control Schema” to plus to see how the Deaf see and use the language in the interpreting community, as well as helping the Deaf those situations, and what a helpful tool that is to us as community to understand that interpreters make many interpreters.” During the workshop, Karen had many decisions throughout the interpreting process that have no

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 16 right or wrong answer. As a matter of fact, many decisions On Saturday evening, a “pizza night” social event are both right and right, and many factors (demands) was held at the dorms, and a great time was had by come into play when choosing the action (control) the all. Th e pizza night was hosted by the “Bridging the interpreter will take. Many of the Deaf community Gap” committees: Association of Visual Language members walked away realizing the interpreter’s job Interpreters–New Brunswick–Saint John Association is much more diffi cult than fi rst thought. While these of the Deaf (AVLI-NB-SJAD); Association of Visual workshops were being provided, a full-day workshop on Language Interpreters–New Brunswick–Fredericton “Deaf Youth Leadership” was also being held with Nigel Association of the Deaf (AVLI-NB-FAD); and Howard, who was delayed out of Newfoundland due to Association of Visual Language Interpreters–New fog and arrived just in the nick of time. Brunswick–Moncton Association of the Deaf (AVLI- NB-MAD). Unfortunately, as is often the case in Saturday and Sunday brought on the main event, Saint John, NB, the weather was not cooperative, “Deafhood,” by Nigel Howard. Th is event was very well and we had to hold the event indoors; however, the attended by all sectors. Even representatives from Services weather was not enough to spoil the mood, as we Canada were in attendance at the workshop and came chatted long past the close of the event. away with a new vision of Deaf individuals, as well as an understanding of the social-linguistic viewpoint regarding A big thank you goes out to the conference communication, Deaf culture and deaf education. Th eir organizers, Lynn LeBlanc, SJDHHS; Shelley fi rst action upon returning to their workplace was to Williams, interpreter; and Cathy Patterson, send an e-mail to their supervisors asking for some Options Employment Outreach, along with the modifi cations to how they deliver service on the front many volunteers who helped out during the event. lines. Without the participation of volunteers from the Deaf and interpreting communities of Saint John, Nigel’s global view of Deafhood was fascinating, Fredericton and Moncton, this event would not have educational, inspirational and empowering, to say the been possible. least. Our conference logo, the “Th ree Sisters Lamp” a favourite tourist stop at the base of Prince William Street Th ank you to all who participated! in Saint John, NB, took on a whole new meaning during Nigel’s presentation. We chose this local icon, with its post containing three red lamps, as it best represented the partnerships between the Deaf community, the service providers and the interpreting community, while at the same time representing the three facets of our conference: Community, Culture and Wellness. During Nigel’s presentation, he spoke of the visual cues that Deaf people use to navigate their way through life. Th is brought a whole new signifi cance to our local icon, as it too is a visual navigational tool used by mariners in the past. If the three red lamps appeared individually, sailors would know they were heading straight into the harbour; however, if only one or two could be seen, sailors knew they needed to alter their course. Needless to say, this icon has become a valued reminder to us all as we journey through life in partnership together. Presenter Nigel Howard with Interpreting Team: During the conference, Deb Russell and Karen Malcolm Deb Russell, Karen Malcolm, Chrissy Montgomery worked extremely hard as they played a dual role, trading and Noni Warner in their presenters’ hats to interpret for the service providers attending the workshop. Th eir commitment to the Deaf and interpreting communities is greatly appreciated; thanks to you both!

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 17 LEONA PARR-HAMEL - CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION from George Brown College, Intervenor Program

Leona Parr-Hamel (1964 – 2010) graduated from the Douglas College Sign Language Interpreting Program in 1989. During the next two decades, she served the Deaf, hard of hearing, and Deafblind communities with an endless supply of passion, dedication and professionalism.

In recognition of her commitment to the individuals she served, this certifi cate was established to honour Leona’s expressed wish that the community ensure that there would be skilled interpreters and intervenors dedicated to work with people who are Deafblind.

Leona came to work every day with a smile and a delightfully contagious laugh that brightened everyone’s day. She was all about giving of oneself, teamwork and how best to serve people. Her legacy will be her immeasurable love of interpreting, her profound respect for the communities she served, her warmth and sensitivity, her positive and genuine nature, her generosity of spirit and the limitless joy she brought to everyone and anyone who called her friend, colleague or family.

Leona’s motto was to “do with, not for,” thereby empowering Deafblind persons to lead the independent lives that they so craved. She was non-judgmental, and this award recognizes those who put in numerous volunteer hours because they want to, not because they have to. Th at was Leona: an advocate for the community, who recognized that all members were people fi rst and foremost – before the vision, before the hearing loss.

Th e recipient of the certifi cate will be a student in their graduating year who has gone above and beyond to improve their sign language skills. A team of faculty advisors, with experience in the Deafblind fi eld, will select the recipient. Th e certifi cate will be awarded annually at the interpreting program graduation ceremony.

P.O. Box 1015, Station B, Toronto ON M5T 2T9 416.415.5000 www.georgebrown.ca April 26, 2011

To the Board of AVLIC,

On behalf of the Intervenor Program and the graduating class of 2011, we extend our sincere thank you to AVLIC for the contribution to the program. Th e award in memory of Leona Parr-Hamel is greatly appreciated and will serve as an incentive for our students for years to come, as well as keep Leona’s memory and her accomplishments alive. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Sincerely, B. J. Reid Th e Leona Parr-Hamel - Certifi cate of Recognition from George Brown College presented to Adriano Aguiar by Betty Jean Reid Monique (Bozzer) LeDrew Intervenor Program Professor/Coordinator Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 18 LEONA PARR-HAMEL - SCHOLARSHIP

Recipient Heidi Jantz with Christina Parr and Larry Hamel

On May 26, 2011, staff members from the Interpreting and Braille Services Department at Vancouver Community College gathered as the fi rst annual Leona Parr-Hamel scholarship was presented in her memory. Th e award recognizes a student from the VCC ASL and Deaf Studies Program or a graduate currently enrolled in the Douglas College IEP who shows interest, enthusiasm, and dedication to working with the Deafblind community. Th is year’s recipient was Heidi Jantz, who graduated from the Douglas College Sign Language Interpreting Program in June 2011.

A touching presentation was given by the Dean of Language Studies, Dale Hunter, who spoke highly of Leona’s character, her devotion to the people she worked with, and her overall presence felt by the college community. Leona graduated from the Douglas College Sign Language Interpreting Program in 1989. During the next two decades, she served the Deaf, hard of hearing, and most of all, Deafblind communities with an endless supply of passion, dedication and professionalism.

Family members were also in attendance while Leona’s husband, Larry Hamel, and mother, Christina Parr, presented the award (see picture inset).

Fundraising eff orts are still happening so that this award can be given annually. If members wish to donate, they can visit the Vancouver Community College Foundation at http://www.vcc.ca/about- vcc/support-vcc/donate-now.cfm and hit the “Donate Now – through Canada Helps” button. In the message/instruction box, be sure to mention that the donation is for the Leona Parr-Hamel memorial fund.

Interpreting and Braille Services Department at Vancouver Community College Vancouver, BC

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 19 Douglas College David Still Memorial Award

Hello AVLIC members,

It was my privilege and honour to present the Douglas College David Still Memorial Award this year to an outstanding student, Trevor Leyenhorst. Th e entire faculty of the interpreting program served as the selection committee, and he was our unanimous choice.

I presented the award at the provincial interpreters’ association general meeting in April. At that time, Trevor was on practicum but he was taking part in the meeting via computer connection. He returned to Vancouver on May 2nd, and I was able to offi cially give him his cheque.

Trevor is a second-year student who will be graduating at the end of May. Prior to attending Douglas, Trevor started his language studies at the ASL and Deaf Studies program at Vancouver Community College. Over the past three years, he has been very involved in Deaf community activities, volunteering not only as an interpreter but also using his videographer skills at numerous Deaf events. We know Dave would have really appreciated this level of involvement and support in the Deaf community.

Trevor has excelled in his studies. Here is a comment from his recent practicum mentor at a site in the US:

“Great intern. What can I say? He did fi ne in this setting and his depth of analysis is beyond what would be expected at this stage. He is fl exible, professional, asks all the right questions and will be missed by the interpreters he worked with.”

We know that Trevor will be a huge asset to the interpreting and Deaf communities. Th e David Still Memorial Award serves as an excellent way of publicly recognizing his hard work, his cheerful demeanour and his many accomplishments.

I continue to miss Dave as a valued friend and colleague, and I still keep expecting him to drop by my offi ce in the afternoon to discuss the day’s events.

Yours truly, Cheryl

Cheryl Palmer, Coordinator Dept. of Sign Language Interpretation Douglas College

Cheryl Palmer and Trevor Leyenhorst

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 20 CANADIAN EVALUATION SYSTEM Th e deadline for the November off ering of the WTK Respectfully submitted by AVLIC Director of Evaluations was September 1, 2011 and for the next June off ering Monique (Bozzer) LeDrew, on behalf of the Evaluations will be April 1, 2012. Please remember if you wish to Committee and the AVLIC Board of Directors do the WTK during a time other than the regular June or November off erings, scheduling the test requires Phase One: Written Test of Knowledge (WTK) a minimum of fi ve (5) registering members. Th e application form can be found at www.avlic.ca under the Th e WTK has been revised and updated to refl ect current Members Only > Canadian Evaluation System section. practices, to utilize current study materials and documents Please contact [email protected] for further details. and to refl ect organizational changes to AVLIC and other associations referenced in the test (ie. RID). A team of Phase Two: Workshops consultants contracted by AVLIC worked for several months on the revision and the pilot for the new version In May 2011 OASLI hosted a CES – Interpretation will take place during the November off ering. of Narratives workshop that was attended by eight (8) participants. Th anks go to Courtney Cockburn and Th e June 2011 off ering of the WTK happened across the Melissa Farias for organizing, Lana Kreiser, for facilitating, country. Th ere were a total of seven (7) locations and and to the feedback specialists for all their work to review we’re happy to report 27 applicants were successful in the samples submitted by the registrants. achieving the required passing mark. Congratulations to the Following Successful WTK In November 2011 OASLI will also be hosting an Registrants: off ering of the CES – Interpretation of Interactive Interviews workshop. Best wishes to all the registrants on • April Myzium a successful professional development opportunity! • Ava Smith • Barbie Murphy Remember, if you’re interested in hosting either of • Bryan Corry the CES workshops (Interpretation of Narratives or • Desiree Beaulieu Interpretation of Interactive Interviews), gather a • Elaine Fong minimum of six colleagues and contact your Affi liate • Heidi Jantz Chapter’s professional development team to get the • Jennifer Randell process underway. Further inquiries can be made to • Katherine Campbell [email protected]. • Katherine Wiebe • Krista Simms Phase Th ree: Test of Interpretation – Certifi cate of • Laine Le Vecque Interpretation • Lia Doria-Rauth • Maria Primeau Th is year’s off ering of the Test of Interpretation (TOI) • Patty Woodman was in March 2011 – off ered in eight (8) locations across • Rebecca MacDonald Canada. Review of the interpretations collected from • Robyn Gerris the registrants by the ASL and Message Equivalency • Samantha Garcia teams resulted in four (4) applicants being awarded the • Sara Morey Certifi cate of Interpretation (COI). Th ank you to all the • Shaina Cudmore applicants, the TOI proctors, our video specialist and the • Stephanie Beucler raters for your eff orts. • Tala Jalili Congratulations to the Following Members Awarded the • Tammy Care Certifi cate of Interpretation (COI): • Trevor Leyenhorst • Trish MacAuley • Carmela Castellano-Sinclair – Manitoba • Tyler Churchman • Ginnie Black – New Brunswick • Yvonne Nickel • Heather Perry – British Columbia • Liz Scully – Quebec

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 21 FROM YOUR BOARD… Interpreters (WAVLI) for hosting the 2011 non- Respectfully submitted by AVLIC president Christie conference Annual General Meeting at Douglas College, Reaume, on behalf of the Board of Directors and committee New Westminster, B.C., on Saturday, July 9, 2011. coordinators Unfortunately, we did not achieve quorum, so no offi cial business was conducted. We did, however, still hold an We are very excited about the launch of the new AVLIC information-only meeting for those in attendance. website (www.avlic.ca). Extensive time and eff ort was put into its creation, and we feel it was worth every moment. Also, during the AGM weekend were other successful In particular, we’re pleased its new layout directly achieves meetings, including the Affi liate Chapters’ Presidents’ some of the goals of the AVLIC 2010 – 2015 Strategic meeting (Friday, July 8, 2011); the AVLIC Board of Plan, specifi cally: Directors’ meeting (Friday, July 8, 2011); and the AVLIC Board of Directors’ post-AGM meeting (Sunday, 2.1. Improve communication between AVLIC and July 10, 2011). Th ank you to all the Affi liate Chapter members by reviewing eff ectiveness and usefulness representatives for your eff orts over the weekend! of current communication methods. Th is may involve a number of initiatives including but not Th e summer has not been relaxing for all as work continues limited to the following: by our standing and ad hoc committees. On the horizon for completion are: the revision of the Interpreting in 2.1 Web 2.0 Legal Settings document; additional discounts for AVLIC • Making better use of website and explore members negotiated by the Member Services committee; ways to use Web 2.0 interactive tools (e.g., blogs, and on-going fundraising eff orts by the AVLIC 2012 Twitter, Facebook, etc.) to facilitate member-to- committee – to name a few. member communication Here is a more detailed outline of the work being done 2.2 Distribution of AVLIC Information by our committees towards their mandates this term: • Improving e-mail news distribution, ensuring relevance • 2012 Conference Planning Committee (Calgary): • Improving Fast Facts and e-mails to provide more Check out the conference website for updates and content in a more concise format (e.g. bullet announcements at www.avlic2012.com. Th e theme points, links to website for more details) “Creativity & Collaboration: Shaping our Future” • Making it easier to discern personally relevant promises an exciting conference you won’t want to content (e.g. colour codes) miss! • Providing bios of Board of Directors • 2014 Conference Planning Committee (Winnipeg):Initial work has begun to plan the Th ere are some further initiatives from the strategic plan conferenceTh e 2014 committee will be working expected for the new website in the coming year, so with the 2012 committee to ensure successes from browse the site often for the latest updates. We would 2012 are repeated in 2014. also welcome your feedback on the new layout. Consider • Board & Committee Development: With just one sending us your thoughts to [email protected] (1) year left in the current term, the focus will be on future board and committee member succession. Summer is winding down now, but there is no time like Th e committee will be working to ensure there is a now to thank Westcoast Association of Visual Language full slate of interested members for the 2012 -2014

Volume 27, No. 2, Summer/Fall 2011 22 term. Committee members are always welcome for for projects the PR committee will address over the the current term too; please contact Jocelyn Mark remainder of this term. Blanchet, board liaison, at [email protected] if • Publications Committee: In addition to the work you’re interested. on the AVLIC News, this committee is investigating • Bylaws, Policies & Procedures Committee: Major how to make the news of the association more edits have been underway to update all documents to accessible to membership. Th e committee is refl ect the new Vision, Mission & Core Values`and working with our website team to ensure we make strategic plan. Th e committee coordinator, Chris the most of the new layout. Racine, along with committee members, has been • Use of the term “Certifi ed Interpreter” Ad Hoc working overtime to ensure that AVLIC documents Committee: No update at this time. are up to date. • Dispute Resolution Process Committee: No update In addition to the contributions by the committees, at this time. listed above, the Board of Directors has been working • Educational Interpreting Issues Committee: No on a number of projects. Some of these include liaising update at this time. with stakeholder groups and organizations of the d/Deaf; • Evaluations Committee: Th e committee is pleased corresponding with members regarding local issues; AVLIC will host the pilot of the revised Written Test reviewing the need for additional policies and procedures of Knowledge (WTK) in November. Th anks go to for the day to day operation of AVLIC business; processing the revision contractors for your work over the past membership renewals; and processing of membership year! Ongoing work continues on the Canadian applications from potential members who do not readily Evaluation System, including the investigation of meet the newly ratifi ed membership criteria (i.e. non- remote off erings of CES workshops, evaluation graduates of Interpreter Education Programs). of the professional development opportunities undertaken by current COI holders in an eff ort to assess potential components of Phase 4 Certifi cation Maintenance. See details of CES off erings in the Upcoming Scheduled Board Meetings full article submission in this edition of AVLIC News. January 2012 • Health & Safety Committee: No update at this Board of Directors’ meeting in time. Saint John, New Brunswick • Legal Settings Document Review Ad Hoc Committee: Th e work of the consultant is nearing July 2012 completion and the committee is expected to review Conference, Presidents’ meeting, the updated document prior to its publication date Board meeting and AGM in later this year. Calgary, Alberta • Member Services Committee: Th is committee continues to be hard at work contacting businesses Summer 2014 to ensure that AVLIC members get the most out of Conference, Presidents’ meeting, their membership benefi ts. Board meeting and AGM in • Public Relations Committee: With the new Winnipeg, Manitoba committee coordinator getting caught up on the mandate of the committee, plans are being made

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